No. 13 San Diego State’s trip to Colorado Springs to play Air Force on Sunday afternoon was a tougher game than some may have realized, and not solely because of the fact that the Falcons entered the game 2-1 in Mountain West play. Dave Pilipovich’s Falcons had won the last two meetings between the programs at Clune Arena, with one of those victories being a 58-56 triumph during a 2011-12 season in which Air Force won just three league games.

With Tre Coggins rolling offensively Sunday’s game set up to be a difficult one for the Aztecs, but Steve Fisher’s team won 79-72 due in large part to their offensive balance. J.J. O’Brien, who thanks in part to an injured hand failed to score in double figures for five straight games, led the way with 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds. The wrap that covered his right hand was gone on Sunday, and it was clear that not having to deal with the bandage made a difference for the versatile forward.

In total five San Diego State players scored in double figures on the day, including Xavier Thames (16 points, five assists), Winston Shepard III (14 points, six rebounds and three assists) and Josh Davis (13 points, 11 rebounds). That balance helped to offset the 29 points scored by Coggins, who through four Mountain West games is averaging 21.0 points per game. Now up to 17.8 points per contest, Coggins has been the most improved player in the Mountain West after averaging 2.4 points per game as a freshman.

Air Force, whose offensive system can be difficult to defend, shot 51.9% from the field. But they were unable to approach that percentage from three, shooting 7-for-20 from distance with San Diego State (7-for-14 3PT) scoring as many points on those shots. Matt Shrigley hit three three-pointers for SDSU, and despite being last in the Mountain West in three-point attempts the Aztecs rank second in percentage.

With their conviction to get into the paint offensively, San Diego State’s able to create quality looks from distance when there’s a need to kick the ball out. That’s been a key all season long, and that was once again the case on Sunday afternoon. The Aztecs certainly have some headliners, most notably Thames and Shepard, but they’re also a group with multiple players capable of making teams pay on any given night. And that’s one reason why they’re 14-1.